1. What you choose shapes your life. I see everything in my life as a choice. When I realised that becoming a mother was a profound choice that I had the power to make, I committed myself to seeing life as a sculpting class. I’ve learned to treat every moment, every thought, as if I’m a sculptor shaping my dreams into reality.

2. Human beings are born, not made. I used to be believe that a child was entirely shaped by her childhood and circumstances. I still think you can affect a child’s behaviour and attitudes, but now that I have two daughters I see that both of them came into the world as their own unique little souls. Giving them lots of love and support helps them to be happier and healthier, but they’re very different from each other and from everyone else. We’re all snowflakes!

3. Motherhood is humbling. Until I had kids, I was full of opinions about how to raise the perfect child in the perfect way. Now I know how complicated (and amazing) being a parent actually is. So I’m a lot more compassionate about my parenting style and try not to judge anyone else’s.

4. Laughter really is the best medicine. No matter what’s going on in a moment or a week or in my life, all my daughters have to do is make me laugh—which they do all the time—and it puts everything into perspective. I especially like a good belly laugh, for both my mood and my abs.

5. Mother-love is empowering. Each time I was pregnant with my daughters, I felt I was connected to the whole history of womankind, going way back through the ages. I was so full of joy, so full of love, so full of power. Motherhood inspires me every day to make the world better for women—which is the best way to make the world better for all.

Josie Maran is a supermodel, a natural beauty expert, a wife and mother, and a fiercely passionate ecopreneur. As the Chief Empowerment Officer of Josie Maran Cosmetics, she produces a line of “chicological” cosmetics and skincare products that are luxurious and environmentally friendly. The super model, who started modeling at the age of 12, credits her upbringing in San Francisco by her artist mum and green-builder dad with inspiring her to create a line of natural beauty products. “When I compared the artificially glamorous women in magazines to my mum’s authentic glow,” she says, “I realised what true beauty was.” Through her company, Maran is also committed to partnerships that advance causes and organisations working to better our world—including IMAGINE: A Global Initiative for the empowerment of women, with projects focused on women in Afghanistan, Kenya, India, Jordan, Nigeria, South Africa, and Sudan.Maran credits motherhood of her daughters Rumi Joon and Indi Joon as “the most rewarding experience of my life.” She adds, “I hope they’ll grow up with a passion for making the world a better and more beautiful place.” With a mum like Josie, we’re betting they will.